How was your opening weekend at Woodbine?
So much to look forward to and lots of fun things to do as far as handicapping and learning about horse racing. Don’t forget to visit www.hbpa.on.ca to check out latest racing news, horsepeople news etc. And of course, IN THE WINNER’S CIRCLE, the new weekly podcast on racing previews/handicapping brought to you by the HBPA – this week, look for some different items and features plus our handicapping on the upcoming weekend races.
HEY, it was not silly to bet this filly in race 1 of 2013 – FOOLISH rallied 5 wide off the turn and won for owner/trainer Nick DeToro and champion jockey Todd Kabel: Dave Landry photo
AND WE’RE BACK!
Betting was strong on Woodbine’s first day of its 133-racing season, higher than opening day last year (Good Friday) and higher than the comparable Saturday in 2012). The total was $3.3 million and there is no question that the track was very busy, body-wise. Sure there were glitches as is often the case on an opening day (television camera operators seemed to have a world of trouble, sound system was wonky, Trakus was off and on. But when track announcer Dan Loiselle took a shot and did his usual request for the crowd to say ‘and they’re off at Woodbine’, it was met with a rousing rendition despite the bitterly cold wind.
Sunday’s wagering of $2.6 million was actually comparable to opening day last year.
The weather was rough on Saturday with a harsh wind and intermittent snow flurries (!) and the winners on the card came from off the pace, most of them wide and rallying. It was a completely different story on Sunday when inside speed ruled the day.
ROOTHAM TRIPLE E’S provided a thrill for her owners and got a lot of cheers from a frozen crowd at Woodbine in the first stakes race of the season.
The only Ontario sired gal in the STAR SHOOT STAKES field, ROOTHAM TRIPLE E’S was perfectly prepared by trainer Sam DiPasquale to win the 6 furlong stake over winter raced LEINAN, who always looked like she was going to going past the winner in deep stretch. It was the first stakes win for co-owners Gorden Clarke and Tom Rootham who own the filly with Murray Stroud.
The filly is by former Ontario sire WEATHER WARNING, a son of Storm Cat, who left Ontario far too soon.
The filly was born near Orangeville at Dream With Me Farm, a shortlived project in Ontario that was originally based in France. The filly’s dam is the French-bred mare Peace Dream. She was bought at auction for $27,000.
Her winning Beyer Figure was 80.
Big efforts
ROBERT TILLER: 3 WINS ON OPENING DAY – 3 DIFFERENT OWNERS. ANOTHER WIN SUNDAY – His horses had been training all fast all winter, no doubt most/all had been well prepared at Paul Buttigieg’s farm and then at the track.
Firsters BORN TO BE QUEEN (predictably 6 to 5 on the odds board) and LANGSTAFF (less than even-money on the odds board) showed remarkable composure in their races to come from well off the pace and win. Both earned 60 Beyer Figures.
Tiller is 4 for 7 after 2 days.
DELEGATION – Wow – okay, so this is one guy who could be very exciting in 2013. He was nominated for a Sovereign for champion 3yo and was in a tough prep for the Eclipse Stakes here but he made it look easy. The son of Speightstown – Cindy’s Hero set a slow pace with Fifty Proof tracking him and then he took off to just about crush the track record for 1 1/16 miles. His Beyer was 104. Gary Barber owns the colt and it was the first win for Gary Boulanger (at Woodbine) since his comeback began.
EURICO! Da Silva that is, he is 5 for 11 and on top of the standings after 2 days.
DESTINY’S SONG proved that last year’s tour-de-force when he won 4 races was no fluke. This Songandaprayer gelding, owned by Rita Hearst and trained by Mike Doyle, kept the roll going with a wide, rallying score and an 86 Beyer Figure to top the fastest races on opening day. It was a brilliant ride by Jermaine Bridgmohan, who guzzled the gelding in the back of the field before leting him loose very late in the race.
It’s not often that the NICK DETORO barn is off and running in the spring but the barn won the 1st race of the year with FOOLISH, who rallied wide to win under Todd Kabel.
Gus Schickedanz and trainer Mike Keogh celebrated a win right off the hop too as NADURRA got out of a terrible jackpot in early stretch to win at 25 to 1 after being winter trained.
The Langfuhr filly out of Silent Course was steadied hard near the rail by jockey Luis Contreras but waited and then angled out for the score.
Favourites landed the next races – PART THE SEAS for the powerful Sam-Son Farm had bit her tongue before the race it seemed and while she never looked like she was going anywhere while racing on the rail, she was the best horse and surged in the 2 path late to win in 1:11 2/5 for a 78 Beyer.
MR MONTY pressed and surged clear to win an allowance race for Ontario sired guys, race 4. He is Old Forester and was the 1st Tiller win – the 3 Sons Racing Stable own the 4yo.
It was Frank DiGiulio and Tiller who combined to win race 5 as TEQUILAMOCKINGBIRD, a half sister to champion INDIAN APPLE IS, won her maiden with a 4 wide stalk/rally trip. One of 3 wins for jockey Eurico da Silva on the card.
Red-hot stable watch: DARWIN BANACH, who won the 7th race with Give a Prize, a 4yo filly who rallied very wide to win for $10,000 claiming. Banach came back on Sunday to win with Miss Echo During and Northern Bluebird. 3 for 4 to start the meet.
The winter trained and raced horses did very well, winning most of the races other than the ones that Tiller took.
TEQUILAMOCKINGBIRD flies to a win – she’s a Frank DiGiulio homebred by Bold Executive – Dave Landry photo
VERRAZANO WORKOUT FOR THE KENTUCKY DERBY
Todd Pletcher may have 5 entrants, the field will be 20 and while there are no stars at this point, perhaps one will emerge!
more videos at
https://www.youtube.com/user/kentuckyderby?feature=watch
KENTUCKY DERBY POINTS AND EARNINGS
Rank Horse Points Owner(s) Trainer Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings
1. Orb 150 Stuart Janney III & Phipps Stable (Ogden Mills “Dinny” Phipps) Shug McGaughey III $840,000
2.Verrazano 150 Let’s Go Stable (Kevin Scatuorchio & Bryan Sullivan), Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith
Todd Pletcher $810,000
3.Goldencents 129 J.C. Racing (Josh Kaplan & Glenn Sorgenstein), Dave Kenney & RAP Racing (Rick Pitino) Doug O’Neill
$1,208,000
4. Java’s War 122 Charles Fipke Ken McPeek $651,772
5. Overanalyze 110 Repole Stable (Mike Repole) Todd Pletcher $908,381
6. Revolutionary 110 WinStar Farm LLC (Kenny Troutt) Todd Pletcher $720,000
7. Lines of Battle 100 Joseph Allen, Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith Aidan O’Brien $1,261,089
8. Vyjack 70 Pick Six Racing (David Wilkenfeld) Rudy Rodriguez $505,000
9. Will Take Charge 60 Willis D. Horton D. Wayne Lukas $512,971
10. Itsmyluckyday 50 Trilogy Stable (Marion Montanari & David Melin) & Laurie Plesa Eddie Plesa Jr. $593,600
11. Govenor Charlie 50 Mike Pegram Bob Baffert $400,000
12. Black Onyx+ 50 Sterling Racing (Sam Herzberg) Kelly Breen $317,130
13. Palace Malice 50 Dogwood Stable, Inc. (W. Cothran “Cot” Campbell) Todd Pletcher $200,000
14. Normandy Invasion 44 Fox Hill Farms Inc. (Rick Porter) Chad Brown $258,000
15. Frac Daddy 44 Magic City Thoroughbred Partners (Carter Stewart) Ken McPeek $240,596
16. Mylute 42 GoldMark Farm, LLC (T. Paul Bulmahn) & Whisper Hill Farm (Amanda Pope) Tom Amoss $363,365
17. Oxbow 36 Calumet Farm (Brad Kelley) D. Wayne Lukas $346,000
18. Super Ninety Nine 30 Tanma Corporation (Susan Chu) Bob Baffert $308,000
19. Falling Sky 30 Newtown Anner Stud, James Covello & Joseph Bulger John Terranova II $207,500
20. Charming Kitten 20 Ken & Sarah Ramsey Todd Pletcher $206,000
21. Winning Cause 20 Alto Racing, LLC (Gil Moutray) Todd Pletcher $137,250
22. Code West 20 Gary & Mary West Bob Baffert $90,000
23. Tiz a Minister 20 S. A. Y. Racing, LLC Paul Aguirre $81,000
24. Golden Soul 14 Charles Fipke Dallas Stewart $84,000
OBS SPRING SALE IS ON NOW
here are the Canadian-breds in the sale with their purchase prices and buyers before their breeding (will be updating as sale goes on)
ALBERTA-BRED
HIP COLOR YEAR
NO. NAME SEX FOALED SIRE DAM
260 …………………….DB/BR C……11 Gilded Time…………..Dash It Darling
MANITOBA-BRED
NO. NAME SEX FOALED SIRE DAM
1062 Runaway Delite………..DB/BR F……11 Mineshaft…………….Tart
1089 Regal Silver………….DB/BR F……11 Scat Daddy……………Tizno Now
ONTARIO-BRED
Price Buyer HIP COLOR YEARNO. NAME SEX FOALED SIRE DAM
$20,000 Darrell Kleckner 14 …………………….B F……….11 More Than Ready……….Alkmaar
$107,000 Josham Farms (worked 2 furlongs in 21 2/5) 141 …………………….B C……….11 Leonnatus Anteas………Calina
$6,500 A. Cruz 172 Evie’s Comeback……….B F……….11 Northern Afleet……….Ceremonial
$50,000 Herbet Guy 195 …………………….B C……….11 Einstein (BRZ)………..City Bird
OUT 240 …………………….B C……….11 Kodiak Kowboy…………Cumulus (GB)
332 …………………….CH C………11 Street Boss…………..Ethan’s Car
350 …………………….B F……….11 Harlington……………Fanny Forgot
416 Ginger Beer…………..B F……….11 Milwaukee Brew………..Gin N Ginger
479 …………………….CH F………11 Spring At Last………..Hold the Spirit
535 …………………….GR/RO C……11 Old Fashioned…………Jo Zak
557 …………………….B C……….11 Milwaukee Brew………..Kissin Kendall
621 …………………….DB/BR C……11 Chapel Royal………….Lori’s Expectation
654 …………………….DB/BR C……11 El Corredor…………..Marquesa Alexandra
718 Burn Permit…………..B F……….11 Grand Slam……………Mysterious Affair
785 …………………….B F……….11 Rockport Harbor……….Pinafore Lady
790 …………………….B C……….11 Lemon Drop Kid………..Platinum Preferred
828 …………………….DB/BR F……11 Mr. Greeley…………..Queen Caribees
829 American Live…………GR/RO F……11 Zensational…………..Queenie Cat
835 Ship to Shore…………GR/RO C……11 Majestic Warrior………Quintessa
874 May Fine……………..DB/BR F……11 In Excess (IRE)……….Romantic Fibs
933 …………………….B C……….11 Roman Ruler…………..Shebandowana
935 …………………….B C……….11 Giant’s Causeway………Sheer Enchantment
957 …………………….B C……….11 Curlin……………….Silver Bird
1035 Crushed………………B C……….11 Notional……………..Summer Fling
1056 …………………….DB/BR C……11 Leonnatus Anteas………Take a Look
1166 …………………….DB/BR F……11 Tiz Wonderful…………Wicker Park
1184 …………………….B F……….11 Visionaire……………Woodland City (SAF)
CERTIFY CAN’T RUN IN 1,00 GUINEAS
Unbeaten filly one of 11 banned horses
“On the eve of the first Classics of the season, racing was rocked last night by one of the biggest doping scandals of modern times when the British Horseracing Authority announced that 11 horses, all trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni under Sheikh Mohammed’s Godolphin banner in Newmarket, have tested positive for steroids. ” – Marcus Armytage, Telegraph
By Shaji Mathew
Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said he was “appalled” after 11 horses trained at his Godolphin stables tested positive for banned substances and were barred from racing.
Tests by the British Horseracing Authority found ethylestranol and stanozolol in 11 of 45 horses trained by Mahmood Al Zarooni at Moulton Paddocks Stables in Newmarket, England, the authority said in a statement on its website.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-04-23/dubai-ruler-appalled-after-race-horses-test-positive
Honouring Windfields Farm
Canadian Thoroughbred April 22, 2013 | 0 comments
A new group has been formed keep the public up to date on any developments linked to the former Windfields Farm land in Oshawa, Ontario and to pay tribute to the birthplace of racing great Northern Dancer.
Windfields Farm ceased operations in 2009, having already sold off portions of land to the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and Durham College, and to housing developers. Some of the barns as well as the gravesite of Northern Dancer were to be preserved, but these plans have not yet come to fruition and the future of these historic gems remains uncertain.
Elizabeth Ross, Diane Stephens and Marianne de Gannes have taken on the responsibility of sharing with the equine and local community all that is transpiring with the property by attending Oshawa council meetings and meeting with their staff. Their goal is to provide clear, accurate information on all things related to Windfields, the old farm. They have also been conducting some research into the history of the buildings.
To learn more, please visit www.facebook.com/WindfieldsFarmnewsandnotes
